A Hollywood man accused of selling the synthetic opioid fentanyl to buyers on Craigslist was indicted Friday, Dec. 7 on charges of selling the powerful drug to a customer who died of an overdose.

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged Andrew Madi, 25, with one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

If convicted, Madi faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release. The 20 years is the mandatory minimum.

Fentanyl is considered 50 times more powerful than heroin.

Law enforcement investigators linked Madi to Craigslist posts dating to at least March 2018 in which he advertised the sale of fentanyl, heroin and Xanax, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

Authorities say Madi created an ad on Craigslist for “roofing tar,” the code for black-tar heroin. When the victim contacted Madi, he told him he was out of that drug, but had some “China White,” with a money-back guarantee if the victim did not like it.

The two met on July 3,2018 at a West Hollywood shopping center, where Madi sold almost a half-gram to the victim, investigators said. Madi later texted the victim to see how he was doing, and he responded that the drug was “pretty powerful,” and noted that “this white does the job that’s for sure” the indictment states.

On July 6, the victim’s father found his son dead in his apartment. He had died of a fentanyl overdose, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

Marilyn Kalfus covers news, issues, and trends for The Orange County Register's award-winning Sunday Real Estate section, which in 2015 snagged first place for best U.S. newspaper real estate section from the National Association of Real Estate Editors. She also writes stories, edits photos and puts together slideshows for our popular Hot Homes feature about iconic, big-ticket and unusual properties on the market. On weekends, she edits police, breaking news and general assignment reporters.